I've had the car for over a year now, but I haven't done shit other than collect parts. Finally started day 1 a couple of days before New Years.

Step 1, cut up the frame, as whoever put it together, didn't use the correct dimensions for a Model A. On top of that, it looked like dog shit. Cut out rear cross member, and really tacky ladder bar mounts in the back. Was set up for coil overs. Since, I'm not an old man, those had to be cut out, as i'm running buggy springs like a real man.

Whoever welded the front cross member in wasn't fucking around. Took an hour or two just to cut that out, then another few hours just to grind down really shitty welds enough to where i have a clean enough of a pallet to weld in new cross member.

As of now, i just have frame on frame table mocked up with correct dimensions. I need to build my frame table up and make a jig and start welding in cross members, pinch the frame, and boxing plates. From there, I can start building chassis.

We flipped the car up on its nose to help verify and get dimensions for frame. I can't believe how solid this car is. Only rust is panels behind rear wheels (they all rust there), and one 6 inch spot behind passenger door at bottom. Already have patch panels - shouldn't take more than a few hours to be as good as new. Priority lies with the frame and chassis right now though.

I'll try to keep up with a build thread. I did an ok job on my roadster 5 years ago, but wish i documented more. ALso wish i built a build book with pictures, but never did. Gonna try to do a better job at that this time around, and do a better job at keeping track of what i spent. I'm at about $13,200 now...still have a minimum of $7K to spend, not counting random nuts/bolts, steel, grinding wheels, welding rods & gas, sanding disks, and random tools that will pop up that i'm gonna need.

All in all, i should be in fully around $22K...and if i do it right, there's no reason why car can't be worth $30-35K. (Not including paint)

Moar. Built my frame table/Jig this weekend for my 32 rails. Basically spent 2 days measuring, cutting, measuring some more, welding, and remeasuring. But my jig is done, and measurements appear to be all correct after measuring 15 times. Going to measure 15 more times next weekend and start boxing my frame in.

I'm not a good welder by any means...but they'll hold. Just a frame table, doesn't have to be pretty. I need to get them pretty or have somebody else do them when I start welding on my frame and body though.

Frame is now boxed. Doesn't look like much has been done, but I assure you, this was an all day job, and seemingly used about 2 miles of welding wire. The back of my hand was "sunburned" from the welding arc.

I opted for the lazy and easy path of recessing the boxing plates about 1/4 inch inside the frame. Going to the edge, and grinding away to make a nice solid smooth surface is probably a more desirable method, but I didn't trust my welding skills to make it look as good as I'd like. There is nothing wrong with this method, just not as clean looking. Also, this method provides a nice track to tuck wires and fuel line into. While grinding and finishing is required, its not near as labor intensive as the other alternative.

Next weekend. Setting rear cross member and k-member and cleaning up my welds. ONce thats done, I can presumably have a rolling chassis together in a day, and the hard work will be completed - providing the body fits onto the frame properly.

Frame is now boxed. Doesn't look like much has been done, but I assure you, this was an all day job, and seemingly used about 2 miles of welding wire. The back of my hand was "sunburned" from the welding arc.

I opted for the lazy and easy path of recessing the boxing plates about 1/4 inch inside the frame. Going to the edge, and grinding away to make a nice solid smooth surface is probably a more desirable method, but I didn't trust my welding skills to make it look as good as I'd like. There is nothing wrong with this method, just not as clean looking. Also, this method provides a nice track to tuck wires and fuel line into. While grinding and finishing is required, its not near as labor intensive as the other alternative.

Next weekend. Setting rear cross member and k-member and cleaning up my welds. ONce thats done, I can presumably have a rolling chassis together in a day, and the hard work will be completed - providing the body fits onto the frame properly.

Listen Dude, I've got a 1968 Chevy Camaro that it took me over 10 YEARS to finally get it completed and road worthy, so believe me when I tell you that I KNOW what you going through, and the challenges you are facing.

No matter what lies ahead in the future with this car DO NOT GIVE UP ON IT. The WORST thing in the world you can do is leave it sitting in the garage for years collecting dust with the promise to yourself the "one day Ill get back to it", By the time that day comes, you'll be too old to enjoy it.

Listen Dude, I've got a 1968 Chevy Camaro that it took me over 10 YEARS to finally get it completed and road worthy, so believe me when I tell you that I KNOW what you going through, and the challenges you are facing.

No matter what lies ahead in the future with this car DO NOT GIVE UP ON IT. The WORST thing in the world you can do is leave it sitting in the garage for years collecting dust with the promise to yourself the "one day Ill get back to it", By the time that day comes, you'll be too old to enjoy it.

I'm gonna follow this thread very closely, and I will be expecting to hear all about your first ride in this baby when you are finished. "with pictures" ( which I hope will be very soon)

Thanks man...i'm giving myself until this time next year to get it on the road and be road worthy. It doesn't have to be done, but I damned well better be driving it, and it better get me to Austin and back from Dallas in April 2017. That is my deadline i am giving myself. There's a big car show every year in Austin, and this is the first year i've gone to this show without a hot-rod and its really kind of pissing me off. I was hoping my ex wouldn't go (she didn't go last year) so I could take the '51. But for whatever reason, after begging her to go with me last year (we weren't separated), she didn't want to go, but now she wants to go and take her '51 all of a sudden and that pisses me off to no end. Otherwise, I'd take the '51 down there.

This is my 2nd ground up build. Took me 8 months to get my '27 on the road back in 2010 from a ground up build, including frame build. But it was a roadster and there isn't much to them. Coupes are a bit more complex and difficult to build. You're camaro is even a step up and more difficult from that. To me...at least in my recollection from my roadster build, the chassis is far and away the hardest part. 2nd hardest part on this one that I didn't have to contend with before is body fitment on the frame. This will take some cutting and finessing to get right. I have to cut out the entire sub-rail section and replace it in the rear of the coupe body, and i'm not exactly sure how the front cowl is going to fit. About half the people say you have to pinch the 32 frame to fit a 30/31 ford, and half the people say you don't have to pinch it for a 30/31. I opted not to pinch it and go the easy scenario of stretching the cowl out slightly to fit over the frame if necessary. I'm hopeful to have the body sitting on a completed rolling chassis by mid to late march.

Secondly, keep rocking it man. I've done enough wrenching in my life to know what lies ahead for you. As long as you set goal dates in stages you'll knock this thing out in time for the Texas trip. Get at it.

Update:
My frame is officially completed. Spent all day saturday cutting, fitting, and welding the rear cross member and k-member.

A minor problem occured after I finished welding and relieved the pressure off the frame from the c-clamps holding it to the jig. The rear left side of the frame bent in about a half an inch at the top. I don't know how that happened. Possibly I overheated the frame when welding in my boxing plates and caused the metal to shrink.

I'm told that its a non-issue, that it'll never be seen or noticed, but it just bugs the shit out of me, so I'm going to try to fix it. I believe I can fix it with a torch and a porta-power....just need to push the top back out 1/2 inch to make sure its square.

So...the first scary part is done. Building the frame freaked me out, but I'm glad i built it instead of bought it. Went ahead and mounted the rear end and latter bars. Hoping to get my rear axles this week. Will get those stabbed and mount the differential and my rear assembly will be completed. I believe I have most of everything I need to mount the front as well. My short term goal...2 weeks, have a complete roller. After that...the next scary part starts. Cutting on the body to make a 31 ford fit a 32 ford frame. I understand i have to cut out essentially the entire floor including subrails in the trunk, then weld in new fitted subrails to match the curve and flow of the 32 frame rails.

Little freaked out about that. Everybody says "its only metal, whatever you fuck up can be fixed". But everybody underestimates my ability to really fuck shit up badly.

Also...landed this nice set up over the weekend for my motor. If one 4 barrel is good, two 4 barrels are better, right?